One third of the cost of cultivation is spent on weeding alone when carried out with manual labour. Both mechanical and chemical weeding are effective for controlling weeds. Mechanical weed control kills the weed between the rows of crop and also keeps the soil surface loose. An inter cultivator cum earthing up equipment was developed and fitted to a standard tractor drawn ridger. Three number of sweep type blades are affixed to the ridger frame for accomplishing the weeding operation in between standing rows of crops. Three ridger bottom which are fitted behind the sweep blade, work on the loosened soil mass and aid in earthing up by forming ridges and furrows.

4.

Cost of the unit (approx)

:

Rs. 15,000

5.

Salient features

:

Weeding and earthing up operations are simultaneously performed in a single pass; row to row distance between the sweep blades and the ridger bottoms are adjustable (45, 60, 75 and 90 cm).